U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst on Friday expressed support for Judge Brett Kavanaugh after a Senate committee voted to advance his nomination to the Supreme Court amid sexual assault allegations against him.

The junior Iowa senator was asked during a brief television interview on Fox News whether she had a message for Kavanaugh, whose nomination is now eligible for a full floor vote but will be delayed until an additional federal investigation is completed.

“I would say to him, 'Stay strong;' I would say, 'Continue on with the push forward;' and I would also say, 'God keep you and bless you' — because I do know how painful this process can be," she said.

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Ernst’s remarks came shortly after U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, a Republican in the Senate Judiciary Committee, voted to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination but also sought a delay on a floor vote. Flake said he wanted a federal investigation to look further into sexual assault allegations by Christine Blasey Ford, a California professor.

The judiciary committee held a lengthy televised meeting Thursday where Ford testified that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in the 1980s when they were in high school. Kavanaugh testified separately and denied the allegations.

Ernst added during the Fox News interview: "I do hope that we can move through this process as soon as we can and again we'll have to turn to our leadership."

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, the senior Iowa senator who chairs the judiciary committee, later announced Friday that the committee would seek a "supplemental background investigation" from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The announcement came after Ernst's television interview.

President Donald Trump later formally ordered the investigation.

Kavanaugh has also denied separate sexual misconduct allegations by other women. An emailed statement attributed to the committee said the FBI investigation would be limited to "current credible allegations against the nominee" and must be completed in a week.